Pamela Hemphill, better known by her online nickname “MAGA Granny,” received a letter on Tuesday from former Vice President Mike Pence. Hemphill, a reformed Trump supporter who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and has since apologized for her actions, has gained media attention for being one of the few rioters who refused to be pardoned for her participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
In his letter to Hemphill, Pence wrote that he wanted to “express my admiration” for declining the pardon, and “pass along my genuine respect.”
Hemphill, 71, served her 60-day sentence from July to August 2022 in a federal women’s prison in Dublin, California. While she was behind bars, she reflected on the insurrection, the disinformation she was fed, and what she believes Trump’s role in it was, and decided to renounce the riot and Trump’s condonation of it. “We were guilty, period,” Hemphill told CBS. “The pardons just contribute to their narrative, which is all lies, propaganda.”
Pence, in particular, has dark memories of that day. Before he was escorted away from the Senate floor, Pence was presiding over the joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College votes and refused to overturn the votes against Trump, making him a prime target for MAGA enthusiasts.
When Trump tweeted that “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done,” rioters in the Capitol began searching for the VP, chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”
While Hemphill admits that she was initially in denial about her role in the riots, she says that accepting her guilt was a necessary step, comparing her MAGA journey to a 12-step program. “No, it was not a peaceful protest, it was an insurrection. I don’t want any part of anything that Trump is offering,” Hemphill told Mediate.
Even though Hemphill has publicly rejected Trump’s approval, she was comforted by validation from Pence: “It’s been a long and hard journey,” she explained, but said that Pence’s letter “made every heartache, smear campaign, and sleepless night more than worth it!”
It’s been a long and hard journey, but this letter I received today has made every heartache, smear campaign and sleepless night more than worth it! pic.twitter.com/cr2SzyujkT
— Pam Hemphill (@PamHemphill79) June 25, 2025
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